Full notes and short notes
A full note identifies the source with its publication details. After the source has been identified, a short note usually gives the author’s surname, a short title and the page cited. If your paper includes a full bibliography, shortened notes may be used from the first citation; follow your instructor’s preference.
These fictional examples show both note forms beside a bibliography entry. The page number in a note identifies the passage you used. Check the Page field each time you copy a note for a different passage.
Book
- Full note
- Nella Quillmere, Lantern Maps of Bellweather Quay (Mossglass Press, 2025), 42.
- Short note
- Quillmere, Lantern Maps, 42.
- Bibliography
- Quillmere, Nella. Lantern Maps of Bellweather Quay. Mossglass Press, 2025.
Journal article
- Full note
- Oren Brindlewick, “Window Gardens Along the Larkmere Canal,” Journal of Imagined Neighborhoods 8, no. 2 (2025): 117, https://example.org/window-gardens.
- Short note
- Brindlewick, “Window Gardens,” 117.
- Bibliography
- Brindlewick, Oren. “Window Gardens Along the Larkmere Canal.” Journal of Imagined Neighborhoods 8, no. 2 (2025): 110–26. https://example.org/window-gardens.
Web page
- Full note
- Nella Quillmere, “Mapping the Footpaths of Bellweather Quay,” Bellweather Field Notebook, April 9, 2025, https://example.org/footpaths.
- Short note
- Quillmere, “Mapping the Footpaths.”
- Bibliography
- Quillmere, Nella. “Mapping the Footpaths of Bellweather Quay.” Bellweather Field Notebook, April 9, 2025. https://example.org/footpaths.
Does a footnote number go after the period?
Normally, yes. Put the raised note number after the punctuation at the end of a sentence or clause. The exception is a dash: the note number goes before it. Use your word processor’s footnote command so the number stays linked to the note.
Short notes and ibid.
Chicago prefers shortened citations to ibid., but does not prohibit ibid. The usual author-title short note remains clear when a reader jumps between notes. Use ibid. is off by default in this tool; leave it off unless your assignment calls for that form.
Review the Short title field before copying. Keep enough of the title to identify the work. If you cite two books by one author, an overly short title can make it difficult to tell which book you mean.
Footnotes or endnotes?
Footnotes sit at the bottom of the page. Endnotes are grouped at the end of a chapter or paper. The citation formats shown here work in either location; use the placement required by your assignment.
Insert a footnote in Word or Google Docs
In desktop Word, put the cursor where the note number belongs, then choose References → Insert Footnote. In Google Docs on the web, choose Insert → Page elements → Footnote. Paste the generated note into the footnote area. Use the word processor to number the notes; do not type note numbers into the citation text.
- Word
- References → Insert Footnote
- Google Docs
- Insert → Page elements → Footnote
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a full note every time?
No. Once a source has been identified, use a shortened note where appropriate. With a full bibliography, short notes may also be used from the start; check your assignment.
Does the footnote number go before or after a period?
It normally goes after the period. A note number precedes a dash instead of following it.
Is ibid. required in Chicago style?
No. Chicago prefers short citations. Use the short-note result unless your instructor asks for another form.
Can I use these citations as endnotes?
Yes. Insert an endnote in your word processor and paste the note there. Check whether your instructor wants notes at the bottom of the page or at the end of the paper.